Comic Panel of the Week: SUPER Superman

This is pretty bad-ass.

Flashpoint: The Outsider #1 Review

I know I'm cheating, last week I said I was going to review a good Batman comic. But the thing is Outsider was originally a Batman villain and Batman is in it, sort of. But before we look at this comic, time for some back story. The Outsider originally appeared in Detective Comics #334 in 1964, the Outsider was a Batman villain who had a very weird/interesting back story. It turns out the Outsider was really Alfred who sacrificed his life to save Batman and Robin, his corpse was stolen and a scientist used a regeneration ray to bring him back to life. Which turned him evil...















...eventually he turns back to normal, and everything is just peachy. However 47 years later an event happens called Flashpoint. Flashpoint is a big event going on right now, basically the plot is Reverse-Flash ran backwards through time and screwed up continuity. Which caused a lot of changes in the world for example Bruce Wayne was shot instead of his Father, which lead to his Father becoming Batman instead of Bruce. So with out further delay lets take a look at The Outsider#1. The cover is pretty good, the Outsider is standing over what looks like the Corpses of Batman, Cyborg, Abin Sur, and Blackout.

The comic opens in 1960 in the slums of Chandigarh, India. A woman is having a child. The woman is in tremendous pain, and dies after giving birth. The father is upset over this and tells his mother to take the baby away. However the baby's eyes glow ominously. We then cut to people running a away as a giant sink hole that is forming in the middle of the village, killing everyone except the baby who's skin is made of stone.

The narration explains that India blamed Pakistan for the disaster thinking Pakistan tested a atomic bomb on Indian soil. This created a war, and America had to intervene . The comic then cuts to today, we are told the Baby got sent to an orphanage where he was named Michael Desai. But now a days he more commonly referred to as the Outsider. The Outsider is in a meeting with Cyborg, discussing the war between the Atlanteans and the Amazons. The Outsider does not want to join Cyborg's army without Batman, so he declines.

One of his "employees" tells him one of his spies was killed by the amazons, the spy is revealed to be Alfred Pennyworth.















I assume this is a reference to Alfred being the Outsider in normal Continuity. But as another reference to normal continuity she tells him they have information on Adam Blake (A.K.A Captain Comet) however before she can tell the Outsider they are attacked by Mr. and Mrs. Terrific and Izumi Yasunari.

One of the Outsiders henchmen activate a Guard Statue which cuts Mr. Terrific in half. Mrs. Terrific doesn't take her husbands death well and kills a bunch of Outsiders henchmen but Outsider if unaffected.
















They want revenge because the Outsider sent them to jail. But the Outsider just shoots her. It barley hits her and she taunts him. He reveals that it was just a distraction as the guard statue cuts her head off. Yusunari uses his fire powers to destroy most of the Outsiders base and the remaining henchmen. Once again the Outsider isn't effected, and tell Yusunari that he went to far.

The Outsider then runs through the fire and punches a hole through Yusunari. Later the Outsider discovers they didn't escape jail they were released by an unknown person in order to kill him. The comic ends with the Outsider wondering who wants him dead, wit a bunch of monitors displaying various heroes, including what looks like Damian Wayne as Robin, and a silhouette that looks like Hawkman and Hawkgirl.

This comic I good but not great. The action is good, and I like the Outsider as a character. Despite him not being Alfred he still acts like him, for instance he is seen drinking tea through out the comic and the cover itself reminds me of a certain Batman cover.

























The Outsider also appears to be as strong and as invulnerable as Superman, and while im on the subject he also reminds me of Lex Luthor, the bald business man who doesn't like to get his suit dirty. Anyway I really liked this comic.

Rating: 4.5/5

But we aren't done yet next week we are going to look at another Flashpoint tie-in. So see you next week when i will review Flashpoint: Project Superman #1.

Comic Panel of the Week: Burger Hell

 I have nothing to say to that.

All-Star Batman and Robin #7 Review

---SPOILER WARNING---

I have something really ridiculous today. But first we have to talk about Frank Miller. Frank Miller is a comic book writer that is best known for the Dark Knight Returns, Batman: Year One, 300, and Sin City. I can't really speak for his other works but I have read most of his Batman books. In 2005 Frank teamed up with Jim Lee in order to write a mini-series under DC's All-Star imprint. As of right now it still has not finished it's 16 issue run even thought it has been 6 years. Only 10 issues were released leaving 6 more to go.

This comic is supposed to take place between Batman: Year One and The Dark Knight Returns, So let's see if this comic is as good as those two. The cover is of Batman and Black Canary beating up some criminals, while not the worst cover ever it's still not that good. Neither of them look like there fighting anyone, they just look like there posing. At least it's better then Frank Miller's variant cover, where it looks like a caveman stole Batman's costume.

 

The Comic starts with Batman laughing like a maniac, while narrating "Striking TERROR. Best part of the JOB." while attacking a bunch of criminals, who are apparently selling bleach for some reason. Batman then takes one of the bottles and uses a flare to catch it on fire. Throwing it at the criminals, catching several of them as well as the dock itself on fire. This is impossible since I'm pretty sure bleach is not flammable and even if it was it would not make an explosion so big it catches several people as well as a dock on fire.

The criminals start to scream that it hurts, but Batman then tells them they don't know what "hurt" means. So he shows them the true meaning of pain by punching one of them in the face. I'm no expert but I think a punch to the face would hurt less then being SET ON FIRE! As he beats up the rest of the criminals we zoom out to Black Canary who was watching the whole time, and guess what she's narrating too, about how much she loves the "Goddamn Batman." Green Arrow is going to be really pissed about this when he finds out. Black Canary tells Batman he's hot and they apparently have sex, while the criminals are burning to death in the background.

Classy DC...

I mean the dock is obviously on fire and last time we saw the criminals they were all on fire. So Batman pretty much just murdered a bunch of people then had Sex within spitting distance of there still burning corpses. WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU FRANK! Plus you would think that someone would of called the fire department due to the huge cloud of smoke rising from the docks. But anyway, Batman offers to drive Black Canary home while making fun of Superman for some reason. On the way back Black Canary tells Batman he should talk to someone, someone he's not punching in the face.

Batman just tells her to shut up, and starts to narrate again "She's got a right to say whatever she WANTS. She's got a RIGHT to say whatever she WANTS. She's got the RIGHT. THOMAS JEFFFERSON and all that." So if it's not already apparent Batman in this comic is completely insane, and no that's not a typo they really spelled Thomas Jefferson with three F's. Batman continues to tell us that he's not insane by narrating some more "She's dead RIGHT to say I'm half-CRAZY. But only half. The OTHER half is doing JUST FINE." Nope your completely nuts. Speaking of we go to Dick Grayson who Batman just kidnapped and trapped in the batcave with no food. Dick thinks he's going crazy because he chopped a Rat in half with an Battle Axe since it was hissing at him. But he seems fine I mean it's not like he's going to go crazy, and try to kill Batman in the future that would be silly.

From Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Strikes Again. Which is also bad.

Oh yeah. But can you really blame him. Batman comes into the Batcave with a man tied up, he causally tells Dick "I've brought the man who MURDERED your PARENTS..." and that the man's fate is in is hands, is he going to be "An AVENGER--or a DETECTIVE". If I were Dick I would go with the Avengers because while they have problems I don't think they ever kidnapped a twelve year old. Anyway Dick starts to beat up his parents killer while Batman watches, and guess what. He's still narrating! "I had to find a clear VIEW. I don't want to miss a BIT of this" Dick get's the man to tell him who hired him to kill Dick's parents. Batman narrates on last time, "I don't like his ANSWER. Not one BIT." The comic ends with a playing card with the Joker's face on it.

If it isn't obvious this comic isn't good. The characters don't act like there suppose to, and the dialogue is repetitive. However Jim Lee's art is pretty good, and the comic is fun in a "So bad it's good kinda way." Overall I wouldn't recommend it but if your in the mood for some good laughs I'd check this out. But remember that your more laughing at it then with it.

Rating: 1/5

Next week I'm going to review a good Batman comic.

Comic Panel of the Week: Spock vs Wolverine

Every Star Trek and X-men fanboys dream come true.

"Constantine" First Thoughts

I have never read Hellblazer or Swamp Thing, the only thing I ever read with Constantine in it was Brightest Day #24. So I went into this with an open mind, and not knowing what to expect. But I thought it was great. I think Keanu Reeves did an excellent job in this movie, playing the title character John Constantine. Finally showing emotion in one of his movies.

This movie makes me want to read the comics, and learn more about this character. The movie itself is more of a horror movie, as if "Ghost Rider" was mixed with "The Exorcist." Once again I never read the book so I don't know how faithful of an adaptation it is. However on it's own merits it great.

Rating: 4/5

P.S. Is the Lucifer in this movie the same Lucifer from Neil Gaiman's Sandman? I was just wondering since their both from DC's Vertigo line.

The Death of Spider-Man: Ultimate Spider-Man #160 Review

---THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS---

Back when I was a kid I grew up watching the 90's Spider-Man TV show that came on Fox kids, and I played the Spider-Man game for N64. So it's kind of a coincidence that the day I graduate high school is the day Spider-Man dies.

Sure it's not the main universe, but ever since "One More Day" something just didn't feel right about Spider-Man. Spider-Man dies during a fight with the Green Goblin even though he was wounded after being shot, and beat up. Successfully killing the Green Goblin before dieing himself. Before he dies he tells Aunt May he couldn't save Uncle Ben's life but he redeemed himself by saving her.

This is why I like Ultimate Spider-Man, despite Peter being a Teenager in the Ultimate Universe he is ironically the most mature. Dieing a heroes death in order to save the ones he loves, once again restoring my faith in Marvel comics.


















The only question I have to ask is who is going to replace him? There is already an Ultimate Ben Reilly. I read a comment about this and they suggested it might be the ultimate universes Miguel O'Hara. Only time will tell. Until then, keep on swinging.

Rating: 5/5